Eduardo Valencia's huge night vs Orioles was a double-edged sword for Tigers fans

The mood in the Tigers' clubhouse after their opener against the Orioles Monday night was grim. Although fans didn't know it yet, Jake Rogers had been told he would be DFA'ed to make room on the roster for Javy Báez the following day.

Kerry Carpenter acknowledged that "we’re all pretty torn up about it. ... A guy that you can always count on to lighten the mood and bring joy to the clubhouse and the dugout and the game."

Eduardo Valencia got his first start behind the plate since being recalled. It was just how baseball goes — Valencia is the younger, higher ceiling player — but it was still hard to shake the Rogers news, and it wouldn't have been surprising if the Tigers played like they'd just lost a clubhouse leader.

They did exactly the opposite, and Valencia was one of the key drivers. In their 14-0 rout of the Orioles, Valencia went 4-for-5 with four RBI. He hit a solo homer in the second, and then capped off the scoring with a two-run bomb (though that was was a little unfair, given it came off a position player).

It made him "the only MLB player in the modern era to bat .500 or better with 4+ home runs over the first 7 games of his career."

Eduardo Valencia became an MLB first after massive night for the Tigers

There's no question that letting go of Rogers was the right move. His playing time has dwindled to the point of just 93 at-bats in 34 games with the Tigers this year. Valencia is the Tigers' No. 11 prospect this season, and has gotten rave reviews from minor league teammates about his game-calling and his own positive clubhouse presence. It's also clear that his brief demotion back to the minors didn't deter him at all.

Báez's return to the clubhouse was also the morale booster that the Tigers needed in the wake of the Rogers news. "When he walked in the room yesterday, the whole room lit up," AJ Hinch said. “The players were excited, staff's excited. Javy brings so much energy and passion and presence."

The Tigers did what a good ballclub would do: pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and completely throttle their opponents. They scored in every inning of the game and didn't allow a run, the first time any team has done that in the modern era since the 1935 Pirates. They looked good; it's just still sad they had to do it without Rog.

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